Re: [Paddlewise] Electric Bilge Pump Question

Julio,

  Sounds like your pump is much more powerful than the small portable
one I used to have.  But you said the pump I described wasn't that small
(you are right about the approximate size).  However, aren't two 6 volt
batteries much larger and heavier?

  The pump I mentioned IS relatively light (running only on 3 C or D
batteries).  I would hate to have the weight of 2 6 volt batteries with
me at all times.  More troublesome is the possibility of an acid leak if
the boat flipped or was rocking alot.  The pump I described is made to
be totally submersible - not the same with your batteries.

  Anyway, I hope your system works.  For now, I'm just using a scoop and
a hand pump - low tech, but the batteries never fail!

  - Scott

 MacWilliams wrote:
> 
> >
> > Why don't you all just get the portable little pump sold at Boat U.S.
> > and others for about $30.  It is pretty quick at dumping water and runs
> > off of three D batteries (if I recall correctly).  The best thing about
> > it is that it is compact,removable and has a long hose which you can
> > hang outside the kayak.  I would be very hesistant to make any holes
> > through the bottom of my kayak.
> 
> That pump is not that compact. Its footprint is about the size of a
> hand with fingers spread appart. It only pumps 200 Gallons per Hour.
> 
> Another drawback I found is that if you have a dry top and a neoprene
> spray skirt there is not any place through which you can pass the outlet
> hose.
> 
> You have to remove your spray skirt to get to the switch and turn the
> pump off.
> 
> The system I am installing uses a 500GPH Rule pump, since it is the
> only one that is reported not to break. I use two of those square 6v
> batteries for emergency lights connected in series; the idea of having
> a gel battery like big boats have, full of
> sulfuric acid gel, inside the hull was not appealing. I connected it
> to a float switch which I can strap down when I practice rolls (otherwise
> the float would fall back an turn on the pump every time the kayak is
> upside down).
> 
> I tried using a bucket, which turned out to be a lot faster than
> the hand pump in a kayak with a large cockpit. Unfortunately is it
> useless if you have a Greenland style 20 inch cockpit.
> 
> An electric pump for sea kayaking that is easy to install an operate,
> is one of the items that belong to the list of things that for
> some strange reason are missing from the sea kayak market, yet they
> are extremely useful.
> That list includes: airbags large enough to fill a sea kayak's for
> and aft hulls, liferaft with rigging and hydrodinamic shape, solid
> paddlefloat with rigging, spray skirt with pocket for radio and flares,
> etc, etc.
> 
> - Julio
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